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Taiwan products fair held in E China

By Song Wenwei (China Daily Jiangsu Bureau)
Updated: 2010-09-17 11:16

"I find that many of the products exhibited are really of high quality and I like many of the designs, which I think are very innovative and eye-catching," said Zhan Liping, a local resident, who was visiting the Famous Taiwan Products Fair in Nanjing on Thursday.

The fair, with more than 40,000 commodities from Taiwan on display, is one of the main attractions at the Jiangsu-Taiwan Week, which started Thursday and will go through Sept 22.

Related readings:  Activities involved in the Jiangsu and Taiwan Week:  Taiwan banks to establish branches in mainland  Taiwan Pavilion sold for $14.45 million  About 2010 Jiangsu-Taiwan Week

The huge scale is sure to surpass the Taiwan-Jiangsu Week organized in Taiwan last year, making this the largest of its kind on the Chinese mainland. Last year's event attracted 270,000 local residents and over 5 billion yuan in contracts signed.

Last November, a 3,000-plus member delegation, led by the party secretary of Jiangsu provincial committee Liang Baohua, went to Taipei for the Taiwan-Jiangsu Week and signed contracts with Taiwan companies valued at more than $3 billion.

As a reciprocal activity of the event on the island, Jiangsu-Taiwan Week will have 11 themed activities to enhance cooperation in areas such as economy, trade, agriculture, science and technology, tourism, culture and education.

"I believe this is a win-win opportunity for Taiwan and Jiangsu, as over 800 participants from Taiwan enterprises are here to exhibit their products and conduct business talks with over 8,000 buyers from all over Jiangsu province," said Wang Chi-kang, board chairman of Taipei World Trade Center, in his speech at the opening ceremony.

Over the past three decades, Jiangsu has attracted many Taiwan enterprises to invest in the province, mainly in Suzhou,Nanjing and Wuxi.

Statistics show that Taiwan investment in Jiangsu province leads other provinces, accounting for one-third of its total on the mainland and trade revenue one-fourth of the total in the country.

Now mainland enterprises have also received the green light to invest in Taiwan. So far, six enterprises from Jiangsu have been approved to develop businesses in Taiwan.

"Jiangsu-Taiwan Week is the first large-scale exchange and cooperation event between Chinese mainland and Taiwan since the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) was signed and took effect. It is of great significance and conducive to cross-Straits cooperation in the long run," said Chen Deming, minister of Commerce.

ECFA is regarded as the most sweeping agreement between the mainland and Taiwan to deepen all-around cooperation.

"We believe the implementation of the pact will further promote exchanges and cooperation in cross-Straits trade and help cross-Straits economies develop together," the Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Yao Jian said in a statement on the ministry's website.

On Sept 21, the Cross-Straits (Kunshan) Trade Cooperation Zone, one of the major projects signed at the Taiwan-Jiangsu Week in November, will open.

Other activities include symposiums on green energy industries, agriculture and logistics, and business talks.